Elon Postgame

[Chris Datres]

That first half looked like we brought back every team from 1998-2011 -- more missed shots and layups than you could ever remember.  Absolutely pathetic.

The more this season goes on, the more I realize that this team just doesn't have the mental makeup to get over any championship hump.  All Elon is good at is making 3s and yet, we can't seem to find it in our defensive makeup to get out on them or to stop helping off of drivers and leaving guys wide open.  Elon had the same exact formula as they did in the first game at their place and we're just not 'there' enough to realize it.  Then, as they're mounting a comeback, the little things crush them -- not blocking out down 10 on 2 missed free throws and then fouling the rebounder and letting them get the 2 points anyway.  Then, down 9, they come down on a 2-on-1 break and elect to shoot a 3 which naturally ends up missing.  Get the 2, maybe you get a foul, but you keep the momentum going.  And while Zane did get the ball back off the missed free throw for a layup and got the 3 total points anyway, he has 3 crucial free throws and only makes 1 of them.  You can score 30 points a game but if you're clanking free throws when the game is on the line, you're not quite the complete player.

We're 5-5 in conference.  4 out of those 5 losses, there's no excuse for (at Charleston the exception).  Good teams don't lose those 4 games.  This conference is so schizo that we could easily be running away with the regular season.  Even when we've been sputtering, we keep missing opportunities.  NE gets whacked in OT at Drexel and once again, we miss one.  It'll make for a wild 3 days in March in North Charleston but unless we get a collective lobotomy, I just don't see this particular team having what it takes to win it.

[TigerFan54]

couldn't agree more.  just no growth mentally -- we keep failing at the same things in the same ways.

[mat1992]

No sense of urgency when we were down big. Skerry talked about lineup and personnel changes. He needs JD to not only play but give another speech. My assumption is that EK will be benched

[TuTigers2012]

This was the worst home effort in the skerry era. They were not giving it their all in the first half.

we played a similar team Thursday so the scouting isn’t totally different 

wastes opportunities as usual. Elon is behind pathetic on the road 

[mat1992]

Also I think Zane missed third FT on purpose

[mat1992]

1 minute ago, TuTigers2012 said:

This was the worst home effort in the skerry era. They were not giving it their all in the first half.

we played a similar team Thursday so the scouting isn’t totally different 

wastes opportunities as usual. Elon is behind pathetic on the road 

I guess His first team had some horrible games but they tried hard 

[TuTigers2012]

There was no intensity or urgency.  His first season they gave it their all they just were not very talented. 

Elon can shoot and score but we played like crap offensively too. Yeah we missed a lot of close ones early but we took some awful shots 

[Tgr4life]

I was optimistic that 5he Wiilian and Mary comeback would be a springboard, having finally won a close one. With the overwhelim8ng talent, compared to the rest of 5he CAA, Coach Skerry has to be pulling his hair out, trying t9 find a way to get these guys to play to their ability. 

As long as he can get it done before March 8n Charleston, th3 rest of these games do not matter.

[Tiger1stRow]

With a team full of seniors, this years team has no real leader. Hope someone can step up and give the "John Davis" speech and turn this season around. A ton of talent on this team but I think it hurts not having a strong center. Alex thomas got beat on the opening tip off by a guy that was 6'4".

[mat1992]

Quotes are pretty interesting and telling. I posted them after the game story.

One thing we miss and won't have the rest of the year is a post presence on offense. Alex and JG are just not the answer right now. Maybe JG next season when he plays more power forward and I think if you start him next to Al, he can post up some guys his size. But he's inconsistent as hell in his post moves and his jumper. He does battle on the boards for the most part and that's a good thing. Just needs to finish better. Neither Al or Justin finish with a dunk. Tunstall can if he's open but he's more of a Rodman-type with his offensive rebounds.

Not having a JD to go down low or Moto to get fouls puts a lot of pressure on Zane to score on drives and Mike (speaking of inconsistency) to make shots. The odd thing is that Starr and Morman are shooting over 40% from 3 and they passed up several good looks. Brian had a couple late and Morman catches them in the corner and instead of taking the clean look, head fakes and throws up a long two or drives somewhere.